Some people have green fingers and some don't, but that doesn't mean they can't garden. Flowers, herbs, vegetables and fresh fruit make your garden look brighter in a unique way. And it can help you eat healthily too, even if you are frugal. If you are new to gardening, there are many things you need to know before starting growing plants.
You can visit this gardening website for some of this basic information. In this article, we're going to focus on giving you simple tips that can help you plant a backyard garden.
Things You Need To Know About Starting A Backyard Garden
Here are the things you need to know before starting your garden:
1. Know the type of plants you want to grow
The success of a garden begins with knowing the plants that will grow well in it. Plants have growth requirements. This includes temperature, humidity and soil type. Before buying seeds or seedlings, read the plant labels or the seed packaging to see if they will grow well in your location.
2. Find the best place to grow the plants
Once you have an idea of which plants to grow, you can find a suitable place for them in the garden. There are plants that prefer to grow in the shade while others prefer direct sunlight. You can get this information from the plant package.
3. Perform a soil test
You can make sure your soil is suitable for growing plants by sending a sample to a soil laboratory. You can also use a kit to check the pH of the soil in your home. Different vegetables and fruits require different soil pH values. Aside from potatoes, melons, and eggplants, plants generally do well in soils with a pH of 6.5 to 7. In the meantime, you need to check for nutrients like phosphorus, potassium, and nitrogen in the soil. If the test results don't look good, you can get some additives to fix the flaws.
4. Use raised beds
As a beginner, you must aim to succeed on your first attempt at gardening. And using raised beds can help you with that. While this may cost you more, it can get rid of the soil, pests, and weeds. If you enjoy crafting, you can find useful information on building raised beds: https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/gardening/g20706096/how-to-build-a-simple-raised-bed/ Raised beds are very useful, though You need to separate plants according to growth requirements. In a raised bed, you can have different types of plants grouped in different spots.
5. Mapping Out
You already know the type of soil that is available to you, the plants that can grow there, and where to place them in the garden. What you need to do at this point is map the garden before you break the soil. This way, you can make sure that you are maximizing the storage space.
6. Get your farming equipment
Every profession requires using the right tools. And gardening is more than a hobby, it's a job. So you will need basic tools like a hand trowel, garden fork, pruning shears, scissors, waterproof gloves, wheelbarrow, watering can, watering stick, hose with adjustable nozzle, hoe and rake.
7. Get Seed Starter Packs
Using seed starter kits is one of the safe ways to make sure the plants will sprout. They are supplied in multiple or disposable trays and offer perfect growing conditions for the plants. Starter packs give you the opportunity to start the germination process indoors when it is fairly early to plant outside. You can transplant it to the garden later when conditions are favorable.
8. Start small
You need time and diligence taking care of plants. They are like babies. Don't get carried away while you get excited about growing plants. It is better to start in small portions. This way, you can take care of each plant as best you can.
9. Label each plant
It is a good idea to label each plant, even if there are only 3 different plants in the garden. It will help you know what you planted, where and when you planted it. It is easy to forget this information with the other activities you do every day. Hence, a label or a plant label is essential.
10. Use accompanying plants
Accompanying planting means growing different plants in the same space. It does this for a number of reasons, including providing nutrients, preventing pests, and using space. Some types of plants will thrive when planted in close proximity, while others will stunt each other's growth. For example, tomatoes produce large yields and repel flies and mosquitoes when planted with basil. Other companion plants for tomatoes are spinach, parsley, marigold, lettuce, onions, celery, carrots, and asparagus. It's important to note that tomatoes don't go well with rosemary, potatoes, dill, fennel, corn, beets, and cabbage.
11. Use compost
If you get big on green this is your favorite. Composts are organic materials that you can add to the garden to encourage plant growth. These can be eggshells, coffee grounds and tea bags, lawn debris, fur and ash. Adding organic matter to the soil can help retain moisture, encourage the growth of good bacteria, and fight disease and pests. It's also a useful way to reuse waste to reduce your carbon footprint.
Conclusion
There are plenty of gardening tips for beginners, but we've discussed a few in this article. Now get out there and get your hands dirty while planting your favorite spices, herbs, fruits and vegetables.
